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ETHICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 4TH EDITION GEORGE REYNOLDS - TEST BANK
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, Ethics in Information Technology, Fourth Edition9781111534127
Chapter 1—An Overview of Ethics
Self Assessment Questions
1. morality
2. ethics
3. vices
4. code of principles
5. morals
6. respondeat superior
7. reputation
8. vision, leadership
9. board of directors
10. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
11. renew investors trust in corporate executives and their firm's financial reports
12. Code of Ethics
13. social audit
14. ethics training
15. development of a problem statement
16. utilitarian
17. brainstorming
Discussion Questions
1. There are many ethical issues about which people hold very strong opinions—abortion,
gun control, and the death penalty, to name a few. If you were a team member on a project
with someone whom you knew held an opinion different from yours on one of these issues,
would it affect your ability to work effectively with this person? Why or why not?
You will meet many people in your lifetime who have opinions and values that are different
from yours and it is important that you learn to get along with and be able to work effectively
with such individuals.
2. Identify two important life experiences that helped you define your own personal code of
ethics.
Student answers will vary based on personal experiences.
3. Do you think that the importance of ethical behavior in business is increasing or
decreasing? Defend your position.
Student answers will vary based on personal experiences. Students may point to the recent
decline in the economy and the various CEOs that have been in the news for acting in an
unethical manner as evidence that ethics in business is getting worse.
4. Do you believe that an organization should be able to escape criminal liability for the acts
of its employees if it has acted as a responsible corporate citizen, making strong efforts to
prevent and detect misconduct in the workplace? Why or why not?
, Student answers will vary, but students should think about the following in making their
decision:
What was the corporation doing to prevent and detect misconduct in the workplace?
How egregious were the acts of its employees?
How did the organization respond once it detected misconduct by the employees?
Were the employees involved disciplined?
5. The Ethics Resource Center identified five characteristics of a successful ethics program.
Suggest a sixth characteristic, and defend your choice.
Possible answers might include:
employees are treated fairly
company conducts regular social audits
employees are able to report unethical behavior without fear of retaliation
employees regularly participate in ethics training
6. Which incident has a greater negative impact on an organization: an unethical act
performed by an hourly worker or the same act performed by a senior manager of the
organization? Explain your answer. Should the hourly worker be treated differently than
the senior manager who committed the unethical act? Why or why not?
An unethical act performed by a senior member of an organization could potentially have a
much greater negative impact on an organization than the same act performed by an hourly
worker. Although an employer can be held responsible for the acts of its employees, senior
members of organizations are expected to be highly trained, highly educated, and to uphold the
highest of standards. An hourly worker, on the other hand, might not have the same level of
training, education, or knowledge and understanding of ethical standards that the senior member
should have. Although both should be disciplined, it may be appropriate to treat the senior
manager more harshly than the hourly worker. It is much more likely that unfavorable publicity
will be generated by the senior member of the organization than the hourly worker and the
public will expect to see disciplinary action taken.
7. It is a common and acceptable practice for managers to hold people accountable to meet
“stretch” goals, quotas, and budgets. How can this be done in a way that does not
encourage unethical behavior on the part of employees?
Employees must have a knowledgeable resource with whom they can discuss perceived
unethical practices. The organization must have a code of ethics and the employees must know
how and to whom they can report violations safely and without fear of retaliation. Managers
can set an example by communicating the code of ethics and using it in their own decision
making. Employees should be aware of sanctions for breaching the code of ethics. Employees
can be rewarded with bonuses of some sort when meeting 'stretch' goals while not violating
their code of ethics.
8. Describe a hypothetical situation in which the action you would take is not legal, but it is
ethical. Describe a hypothetical situation where the action you would take is legal, but not
ethical.
Several trends have increased the likelihood of unethical behavior. First, for many
organizations, greater globalization has created a much more complex work environment that
spans diverse cultures and societies, making it more difficult to apply principles and codes of
ethics consistently. For example, numerous U.S. companies have moved operations to
developing countries, where employees work in conditions that would not be acceptable in most
, developed parts of the world.
9. It is easier to establish an ethical work environment in a nonprofit organization than in a
for profit organization. State three facts or opinions that support this hypothesis. State
three facts or opinions that refute the hypothesis.
Students answers will vary based on their beliefs or experiences with different organizations.
Students may tend to agree that it is easier given that the board of directors in a nonprofit
organization reports directly to the local communities that the nonprofit serves.
10. This chapter discusses four approaches to dealing with moral issues. Which approach is
closest to your way of analyzing moral issues? Now that you are aware of different
approaches, do you think you might modify your approach to include other perspectives?
Explain why or why not.
Responses will vary.
11. Is it possible for an employee to be successful in the workplace without acting ethically?
Yes, certainly. Recent examples include CEOs. However, employees should always be ethical.
12. The Hewlett-Packard Board of Directors has forced two high-level executives to resign
over internal scandals—first Patricia Dunn (see David A. Kaplan, “Scandal at HP: The
Boss Who Spied on Her Board,” Newsweek, September 10, 2006) and now Mark Hurd.
Can you find evidence that turnover at the top has affected the company and/or its
stockholders?
According to the Business Insider, Mark Hurd’s departure from HP cost the company’s
shareholders at least $10 billion
(http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-04-27/tech/29990782_1_mark-hurd-hp-shareholders-
hewlett-packard-s-ceo ).
13. Should software piracy within the boundaries of third-world countries be tolerated to
allow those countries an opportunity to move into the information age?
Responses will vary. The Business Software Alliance provides the following study about
software piracy worldwide: http://portal.bsa.org/globalpiracy2010/
14. Without revealing the name of your employer, comment on the efforts of your employer to
promote a work environment in which employees are encouraged to act ethically.
Responses will vary.
15. Is ethics training really just a waste of time that will not change the behavior of
employees?
Responses will vary. Popular arguments against business ethics include:
Ethics is something you feel and cannot be learned.
Moral character is instilled and developed in early childhood, not in an ethics class.
Economic and legal incentives should be encouraged, not ethical sentiments.
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